"My Father's Daughter" - cookbook review

 

Say what you want about Gwyneth Paltrow; I am here to tell you that she just came out with a fantastic cookbook. She recently made the cover of Bon Appetit magazine which proved to be very controversial. I admit that even I wasn't thrilled to see her face on the magazine I anxiously await each month. I look forward to seeing what the cover recipe is and making that recipe. The sad little bowl of pasta she was holding was not exactly inspiring. It's a food magazine, after all. I follow Bon Appetit on facebook and enjoy reading all the comments. People were not happy about GP! But, several of the recipes in the magazine looked interesting and her new cookbook is getting rave reviews. Because amazon.com is way too easy to use, I ordered it. I just spent an hour reading it over morning coffee and am really impressed. As the editor of BA explained, for so many of us mealtime is about far more than the food. It's about togetherness, nourishment, family, and creating memories. Gwyneth has a reputation for being a celebrity health nut. She addresses this in her book, explaining that she is very concerned about what she puts in her body and the bodies of her children. She has struggled to find balance in all of this. I also find the current food environment hard to navigate. To be honest, I think I sort of shelter myself from the information that is out there so I can continue to enjoy food that is highly suspect. 

I ordered My Father's Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness after reading a few excerpts online. I can really identify with wanting to provide my family with healthy, but delicious food. I think it's a good idea to have some good vegetarian recipes in ones diet. But, by vegetarian, I don't mean a lame pasta with some vegetables tossed in. I want flavor! I want a recipe that leaves people at the end of the meal exclaiming, "Wow, I didn't even notice that was vegetarian!" I can tell that Gwyneth created several of her recipes with the same goal in mind. I also want my family to eat (and like) more vegetables. I am constantly trying to find recipes that will excite Adam, who seems to have a very limited palate for the veggies. I messed up with Gavin somewhere around age 2. I never committed to this goal of feeding him unprocessed food. Why on earth would he like Kraft mac & cheese over my delicious homemade goodness? Because I gave it to him- that's why. Now he just thinks all melted cheese should be soupy and orange. I'll own up to it. It's something we're working on. I am very excited about this new cookbook because Gwneth has lots of tips for cooking for and with her kids. I love the balance of vegetable and meat focused recipes. All of her vinaigrette recipes look simple and delicious, as do several of her soups. I plan on making her oven-roasted tomatoes this week and maybe her paella.

Anyhow, I have a bit of a cookbook obsession and they are not all created equal. I am glad to add this one to my collection. Even if you're not a GP fan, I think you'll like what she's done with her book. At the end of the day, a good cookbook is a good cookbook! Check it out!

Hello Chicken- Let me cook you right! Review of Coriander Chicken and Fennel Tostadas

Over the past weekend, I realized that I have been in a serious culinary rut. So, I decided to mix things up and start selecting three new recipes each week. This is not that difficult- you'd gasp if you saw how many magazines I subscribe to. I also have a ridiculous cookbook fetish and the list of food blogs I follow is constantly growing. It's just a matter of stepping outside my comfort zone and executing. Viva! Or whatever...

On Saturday, I selected my three recipes and made out my shopping list. I did not anticipate blogging about any of these recipes, just simply listing the successful ones to the sidebar on the right. However, tonight's recipe was worthy of a blog post. I found the recipe for Coriander Chicken Tostadas with Refried Beans and Grilled Fennel in January's issue of Bon Appetit. We love Mexican food around here so this one caught my attention. I am making an effort to bring more vegetables into our diet and thought this was an interesting use of fennel. The recipe comes from Sue Torres, owner of Suenos restaurant in Manhattan. In the introduction to the recipe, she makes a commentary about how people constantly overcook chicken breasts in fear of salmonella. I am guilty of this, so I decided to follow her instructions and use an instant read thermometer, cooking the chicken to exactly 165 degrees. The result was moist and flavorful chicken. I had respected my chicken by not drying it out! It's amazing how the simplest adjustment to method can take one's cooking up several notches.

Now, to the specifics of the recipe- the flavor combination of the coriander rubbed chicken, the pinto bean puree with cumin and chipotle peppers, and the grilled fennel is subtly addictive. Coriander* really is a lovely seasoning for chicken, as she states in the recipe. It would work nicely in a salad. I really wasn't sure how fennel was going to taste on a tostada, but it had a nice texture and mild sweetness. The meal took me about 45 minutes to prepare, which included me frying up corn tortillas to use for the tostada shells. We served them with shredded iceberg lettuce, cilantro sprigs, and a little sour cream. Adam added a little shredded cheese to his, but they honestly don't need it. I skipped the radishes, but might try them once gardening season rolls around. Anyhow, even if you don't want to try the recipe, click on the link and read her comments about cooking chicken- made a huge difference for me.

*I did not have coriander seeds, only ground coriander. It worked fine, but I suppose was lacking some texture that you'd get using crushed seeds.

Chilly Chili

We are now over a month into winter and it is definitely cold here. Sunday night, the temperature was 19 degrees below zero! I'm not a big fan of that kind of cold. We have warmed up to the high 20s finally, which feels almost balmy. Because I love comfort food, this is my favorite season to cook. It's cozy and inviting. There are days when I never leave my house, except to maybe play with the kids outside. Instead, I like to curl up on my couch and go through cookbooks. My most recent purchase was the Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook . This restaurant is located in the lower east side neighborhood of Manhattan. When my mom, Sarah, and Julie visited a while back, we walked quite a distance to get to this place and it was definitely worthwhile. Nearly two years later, I can remember what everyone ordered. My favorite was their award winning pancakes with maple butter, which Julie ordered. The restaurant has been featured on Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and luckily for all of us, they just released their cookbook. I purchased it for my mom for Christmas and then decided I needed a copy as well. I recently made an adaptation of their chili recipe. I only adapted it because I had already bought ingredients that didn't match up with the recipe exactly. The Clinton St recipe calls for ground turkey, chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, red bell pepper, and chipotle. Instead, I used ground beef, beef stock, whole tomatoes, and added chili beans in addition to the kidney beans. The recipe could easily be made vegetarian by using vegetable stock, more tomatoes, corn, and more bean variety, such as black beans. It's pretty spicy and warmed us all up after an afternoon of sledding. Enjoy!

Chilly Chili, adapted from Clinton St. Baking Co.

Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 medium carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1lb ground beef
2 cups beef stock
1 28oz can whole plum tomatoes
2 cans chili beans, with ranchero sauce
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 T chili powder
1/2 T garlic powder
1/2 T dried oregano
1/2 T cumin
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
2 shakes tabasco
1/2 T kosher salt
1/4 T black pepper

Method: Brown meat, until nearly cooked through, drain the fat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the vegetables and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add spices, stock, tomatoes (which I crush a little by hand), and beans. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on medium low for an hour.

Football and Soup- Sundays at Chez deMars

Football Sundays at the deMars' house include: sweatpants as the dress code, two televisions in the living room, tons of fantasy football smack talk, and often, a pot of soup on the stove. This past weekend, I made White Bean Chicken Chili, and it was delicious. It is spicy and warms the belly. The best part is that it's ridiculously simple and won't require you to miss much of the football action. I don't know about you, but once I get parked on the couch in my sweatpants, it's hard to be motivated to do much else. I decided to share the recipe and hope you find that it suits your own lazy weekends just as well.

White Bean Chicken Chili, adapted from a recipe that I received from Chelea, who received it from Elizabeth, who has no idea where it came from before that...

Ingredients:
2 tbl olive oil
1.5 lbs chicken breasts, cubed
1 medium sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth
3 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 4oz cans chopped green chilis
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream

Instruction: cube chicken into 1/2 inch pieces; heat olive oil in dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot; add chicken, onion, and garlic to the pot and saute on medium heat, until the chicken is cooked through, stirring often, making sure not to burn the garlic. When chicken is cooked, add chicken broth, beans, chilis, oregano, salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne. Stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to med low and simmer for 30 minutes. Add sour cream and whipping cream. Simmer for another 15 minutes or so. The dairy will cool the soup down, so you just want to make sure it's hot again before serving.

*Side note- this is fairly spicy. If you do not like a lot of heat, reduce the amount of cayenne.

Summer of tomatoes: Homemade Marinara Sauce

I haven't written many posts about my garden this year. Honestly, I haven't been spending as much time out there since Olivia was born. Fortunately, the work I put in early in the season has paid off and the garden has been producing nice results. I find it interesting to see how the difference in weather impacts how plants thrive from year to year. Last summer was much cooler and wet, which was great for growing snap peas and lettuce, but caused tomato blight. This summer has been long and hot- great for tomatoes and peppers, not so much for peas and lettuce. It might be the simple, little world I live in right now, but I find this fascinating. Anyhow, this has been the summer of tomatoes. I planted cherry, grape, and roma plum tomatoes up a trellis against our fence. These plants are unbelievable- nearly 7 feet tall! I also planted some larger varieties in the garden plot which have also produced a nice yield. Needless to say, I have more tomatoes than I can eat. So, I make sauce. It is very easy to do and makes me feel good not to waste tomatoes. I have been making this weekly and freezing the sauce we don't use. Once you make the basic marinara sauce, it can be easily adapted to make tomato cream sauce, puttanesca, or vodka sauce. Here is my very basic method and recipe. Feel free to play around with it, adding whichever ingredients you like!

Marinara Sauce:

2lbs fresh tomatoes
1 sweet onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs olive oil
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup fresh chopped basil
kosher salt
black pepper

Add tomatoes to a boiling pot of water. Boil for about 30 seconds, remove with slotted spoon, and then place the tomatoes into a bowl of cold water. The skins will now peel off easily. After you remove the skins, quarter the tomatoes and remove the seeds. Give the tomatoes a rough chop, place to the side.

In a dutch oven or heavy bottom pot, saute onion in olive oil over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes, add garlic. Saute for 2 more minutes and then add tomatoes. Remove the thyme leaves from the sprigs and add to the pot, along with the chopped basil. Season with salt & pepper, according to your taste. Simmer on medium low for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the sauce to reduce to your liking.

Once the sauce has cooled, puree in a blender.

Yields about 2 cups of marinara sauce

Grilled Mahi Mahi Tacos

As much as I love summer and all of the fresh produce that is at hand, I have to admit that it's been hard to commit to cooking dinners regularly. Obviously, part of that is having been insanely pregnant at the beginning of summer and then being busy taking care of a new baby. But, really, I just can't get excited about food and meal planning. It's been a really hot summer which sort of suppresses the appetite and Adam and I find ourselves doing the whole, "I don't care, what do you want?" song and dance. Eventually, we just make PB&J sandwiches and go to bed. However, last week I decided I had to make something good and I remembered my mom mentioning fish tacos using frozen mahi mahi. I decided to give them a try and am so glad that I did. It's a great meal that takes very little time and is absolutely delicious. I didn't think to take a picture, so you'll have to use your imagination. Here is the recipe, enjoy!

Grilled Mahi Mahi Tacos, adapted from Bobby Flay

Ingredients:

- 1 pound mahi mahi

- 1/3 cup canola oil

- 2 limes, juiced (or 1 really juicy lime, if you're lucky enough to get one)

- 1 tablespoon chili powder

- 1 jalapeno, chopped

- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves

- flour tortillas

Garnish with whatever fixings you like. Here is what we put in ours:

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

salsa

sour cream

chopped cilantro leaves

diced avocado

Directions:

Prepare grill- will want a medium-high heat. Meanwhile, place fish in a shallow baking dish. In a bowl, whisk together, oil, lime juice, chili powder, jalapeno, and cilantro. Pour over the fish and let marinate for 20 minutes.

When grill is ready, remove fish from marinade and place onto grill. Grill for 4-5 minutes on the first side, flip and grill for another couple of minutes. Fish should be flakey but not dried out.

Place tortillas on the grill and grill for 20-30 seconds. 

Serve! 

The quest for a satisfying Navy Bean Soup

One of my favorite soups is Navy Bean. It's funny to say it's one of my favorites because I really don't have it very often. It's not typically available on menus and not that many people make it. I found myself craving this early in the week and started looking online for recipes. Many people call this soup Senate Bean soup because it has been on the Senate's Restaurant menu since the early 20th century. I looked up this recipe and like the other few I found, I just wasn't too inspired by them.

Most bean soups have you simmer the beans with water and ham hocks, and maybe some sauteed onion. I just don't like ham hocks. They gross me out and I find the meat on them unappetizing. I would prefer to use a bone from a spiral ham but I also don't bake too many hams. So, without the main flavor component of the bone or the hock, I was left to create my own soup.

I started with a slice of bacon in my soup pot. I rendered the fat, removed the bacon, leaving the drippings in the bottom of the pan. From there, I added my aromatics: leeks, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Surely, bacon fat is less healthy than olive oil, but the flavor from the bacon is crucial. Once the vegetables were softened, I added the navy beans, 4 cups of chicken broth and 4 cups of water. I threw in some sprigs of thyme, a bay leaf, and some freshly ground pepper. From there, it simmered for about 3 hours. You have to keep an eye on it, making sure to add more water if necessary. After the beans were tender, I added some diced ham and a healthy squirt of ketchup. The ketchup is sort of random, but I remember my mom adding it to her bean soup that she'd make with a left-over ham bone from Easter. It gives the soup a little something- a complexity of flavor that ties it all together. The result was a bowl of soup that was soul-satisfying. The kind of meal that warms you up on the inside and leaves you feeling completely content. Adam had two big bowls and wanted to take the leftovers for lunch. I said, "Not this time buddy, Prego gets the soup!" Needless to say, this will be making a regular appearance in our winter meal planning. Here is the recipe in its entirety for you to enjoy. If you do try it out, please comment back any adjustments or feedback you have!

Navy Bean Soup with Ham

1 lb dried navy beans, soaked overnight, covering with 2 inches of water
1 Slice Bacon, for drippings
1 Large Carrot, diced
1 Medium Onion, diced
1 Leek, diced
2 Stalks Celery, diced
4 cups water
4 cups chicken stock
2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
Freshly Ground Pepper
1-2 tsp Ketchup
2 Cups Diced Ham (I used a small ham steak... use as much or as little ham as you like)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Soak navy beans overnight, leaving two inches of water to cover

Drain and rinse navy beans.

In a stock pot, or dutch oven, cook one slice of bacon to render the fat. Remove the bacon from the pot, leaving the drippings. Add diced carrot, cooking for about 3 minutes. Add onion, leek, and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for another minute. Add the beans, stock and water. Put the thyme sprigs in whole, along with the bay leaf. Give the pot a healthy dose of freshly ground pepper. Stir and bring the pot to a boil. Cover the pot, leaving the lid cracked, and simmer for 3 hours or until the beans are tender. Check on the soup occasionally, as the beans will absorb the liquid, add more water if necessary. Once the beans are tender, remove thyme and bay leaf. Add ketchup and diced ham. Stir and simmer until the ham is heated through. Salt & Pepper at this point. Ham can be salty, so you may not need any additional salt.

Enjoy!

Homemade Stock- yes, it's all that it's cracked up to be!

I have been making my own chicken and vegetable stocks for several months now. It's really easy and makes a tremendous difference in how soups and stews turn out. If you're like me- you go through a lot of chicken stock this time of year. I also make a lot of roasted chickens so I finally started to keep the carcass to make stock the next day. It's a great way to use up wilting vegetables as well.

Today I am making Chicken Stew with Biscuits. This Barefoot Contessa recipe is delicious! It will satisfy anyone- (well, maybe not a vegetarian, but you get what I'm saying). Her recipe calls for using bone-in chicken breasts, that you roast and then shred. I am using a whole chicken because I wanted to make my own stock. I don't have the frozen pearl onions- so instead, I'm adding celery, chopped rosemary, and also some button mushrooms. It's just a chicken stew- feel free to use what you like! Also- I don't use quite as much butter as Ina. Use what you're comfortable with!

Now, back to the stock. There are thousands of recipes for making chicken stock. I have found that the key is to use a lot of aromatic vegetables and herbs and to simmer for a long time. When I use a carcass from a roasted chicken- I will simmer for 3 hours. In today's case, I don't want to overcook the chicken- so I will remove it once it's done, shred the meat, and then return the carcass to the simmering stock for another hour. If you give it the time, you'll end up with a beautiful dark stock- looks nothing like store bought stock.

Here is my "recipe"

Chicken Stock:

1 whole chicken (or carcass)

2 or 3 carrots, washed, and chopped in 3 pieces each

2 or 3 stalks celery, washed and roughly chopped

1 whole onion, peel left on and quartered

1 head garlic, cut in half horizontally (I didn't have garlic today- so I substituted leeks)

Bunch of fresh thyme

2 bay leafs

Freshly ground pepper- ground coarsely

Pinch of kosher salt

Cover the chicken with water- only enough water to completely submerge the chicken. Add vegetables, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 3 hours*. Make sure pot is covered but that the lid is slightly cracked. Keep an eye on it- making sure your water does not evaporate.

After stock is done simmering, strain through a sieve into a clean pot/bowl. Refrigerate the stock after it's cooled. The fat will harden at the top, which can easily be removed.

*Remember- if using a whole chicken and not just a leftover carcass- remove the chicken once it's done cooking, remove the meat- then return carcass to pot.

This will make about enough stock for a homemade soup and in this case, my chicken stew. It freezes very well, but I tend to use it right after I make it. I still have to rely on store bought stock- but if you have the time- I highly recommend treating yourself to homemade. It really will take your recipes to the next level.

Comfort Food- Pseudo Shepherd's Pie

I have had a few requests for easy meals to make after a busy day. This one is just the trick to fill a hungry belly and give you that warm and fuzzy feeling we seek when craving comfort food. Growing up we just called it Hamburger Green Bean Casserole- I have no idea where this recipe originated. My mom said that my grandma used to make it all the time when she was growing up. There are many variations on Shepherd's Pie but this one is great for its simplicity.

Grandma Heather's Hamburger Green Bean Casserole:

1lb ground beef

1 onion, diced

1 can cut green beans

2 cans tomato soup

3 russet potatoes

1/4 c milk

1 tbs butter

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1) Peel and quarter potatoes and boil until tender

2) Brown hamburger with diced onion, drain fat, season with salt & pepper

3) Add tomato soup, green beans, and mix

4) Mash potatoes with milk and butter, add 1 cup shredded cheese

5) In a casserole dish, pour in hamburger mixture, top with mashed potatoes and sprinkle remaining cheese

6) Bake for 30 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned

* I recommend placing a cookie sheet underneath the casserole in the oven as it has a tendency to boil over

This may sound like kind of a strange recipe but I encourage you to try it out!

The Chef's Manolos- a comfort food dream!

I received many lovely Christmas gifts and I am highlighting two as part of my tribute to comfort food. I received TWO Le Creuset dutch ovens... one small and one large! For those that do not cook- I must explain that Le Creuset cookware is to a cook- what Manolo Blahniks are to those who love all things shoes! Or what pocket aces are to a game of Texas Hold Em. You get the idea...
This comfort food season I have been obsessed with braising- slow cooked meats with root vegetables, herbs, wine and broth. My new dutch ovens are coming in particularly useful. Today I am braising short ribs- I have made these once prior to today and recently ordered them in a restaurant. Short ribs have jumped high on my list of comfort food. What is fun about braising is that you can really experiment- sometimes I flour and season meat, sear it, and then put in the dutch oven. Whereas today I roasted the short ribs for 15 minutes and then added to my vegetables. You can add whatever herbs and vegetables you think sound good. I have combined several recipes for today's concoction! Here is my experimental recipe- should you wish to indulge!

Ingredients:
8 Short Ribs
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Celery, 4 stalks - chopped (fairly large)
4 Carrots- peeled and chopped
1 Fennel Bulb- chopped
1 Spanish Onion- chopped
2 Leeks- white and light green portions- coarsely chopped
10 oz Whole Button Mushrooms
4 Cloves Garlic- chopped finely
Thyme- fresh bunch
1 Tbl Brown Sugar
1 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon
4 cups Beef Broth

1) Roast Short Ribs seasoned with Salt and Pepper for 15 minutes at 400
2) In large dutch oven, saute vegetables in olive oil for 20 minutes
3) Pour wine in and bring to a boil until alcohol has cooked out and liquid is reduced by half
4) Place short ribs over the vegetables
5) Add beef broth, brown sugar, thyme and season with salt & pepper

Cover dutch oven and bake at 300 for 4 hours until meat falls off the bone...

I recommend serving these with garlic mashed potatoes.

We are expecting more snow and ice tonight- can't think of anything that will taste better on a cold winter's night...

If stoves can be sexy- that's one sexy stove!

Big event in the deMars household- I got a new stove! I absolutely LOVE it! I can't take credit for calling it sexy- that would actually have been my mother in law- which makes it all the more funny! Our oven was on a downward spiral and I did not want to waste any time getting a new appliance. I made that mistake with our Seattle home and had to buy new appliances two weeks before the house went on the market and didn't even get to enjoy them! SO- live and learn! And LIVE I did! This range is sweet! It is a gas convection with a warming oven! It has 5 burners- complete with griddle! It has a meat probe and quick boil and simmer settings! I am breaking it in with a roasted chicken- smells fantastic!

Comfort Food- Roasted Pork Loin with Fingerling Potatoes

There is something about the way you feel when your home has the fragrance of something delicious roasting in the oven. Tonight I am roasting a pork loin with fingerling potatoes, leeks, carrots, celery and onion. The aroma is captivating- makes you want to grab a blanket, a glass of wine and curl up and read a good book. You feel at home.

Roasted vegetables:
10-15 Fingerling potatoes
1 Celery Stalk- chopped in three large pieces
6 Carrots- peel carrots and cut into three pieces
1 Leek- chopped
1 Spanish Onion- quartered
¼ c Melted Butter
3 Tbls Olive Oil
Three Sprigs Thyme Leaves
Salt & Pepper

Toss vegetables in melted butter, olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 20 minutes in large roasting pan at 425.

Pork Roast:
2 ½ lb Pork Loin Roast- Center Cut
3 Tbls Dijon mustard
2 Garlic Cloves- minced
2 Tbls Thyme Leaves
2 Tbls Fresh Rosemary Sprigs- chopped
2 Tbls Olive Oil
1 Tbls Kosher Salt
1 Tsp Black Pepper

Mix ingredients together- brush on roast- let sit for 20 minutes while vegetables are roasting.

Place roast on top of vegetables and put back in oven and continue to roast until center of roast registers 150- about 45-55 minutes.

Remove Roast- cover with foil and let sit for 15 minutes while vegetables continue to roast in oven.

Slice Pork and place on platter with roasted vegetables.

Comfort Food- Goulash!

Ok- so it might be something about the word goulash because some people hear it and think- GROSS! But- this is a dish that I crave on occasion and thought I'd share it with you. Goulash is another meal that my mom used to make when I was growing up. Later, when I asked how to make it- I got "a little bit of this and little bit of that!" She just makes things up and they are always great but then there's no recipe! I always try and get exact measurements but once you start making it- you might think you want more spices or less- just make it however you want! Use my recipe as a guide- this is a perfect weeknight meal when you just need something quick yet satisfying. I made this last night- and I got the vote of approval from Gavin, "MMMM..."

Grubbin' Goulash

1 pound lean hamburger

1 yellow onion- diced

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 can tomato soup

1/2 lb elbow macaroni

1 can dark red kidney beans

1 can stewed tomatoes

1/2 stick of butter

• Boil water for macaroni- adding a little salt for taste- pour in macaroni and boil until tender
  
• Brown hamburger with the diced onion - once browned- add seasonings and stir to coat.
  
• Add tomato soup, rinsed kidney beans, stewed tomatoes
  
• Drain macaroni and then stir into the hamburger mixture
  
• Add butter and stir until melted
  
• Once heated through- serve!
  

This is seriously good! In fact- for my less culinary inclined readers- you can easily pull this off and score some points with family. It beats take out! Try it out on a cold night!

Hurray for Comfort Food Season!

As summer winds down and the air turns crisp, we might get a little sad that we have to break out the long pants and actually wear socks for the first time in months! But then you remember all the wonderful meals ahead- I hereby declare it COMFORT FOOD SEASON! As many of you know, I just love to make soup! I have been known to make four or five soups on a Saturday afternoon! (that's way too many, by the way!!) My favorite is to make two pots of soup on the weekend and then have dinner/lunch options all week. I also love the classics such as Chicken Pot Pie, Pot Roast, Macaroni & Cheese and don't even get me started on Thanksgiving!! Throughout the fall- I will be posting my favorite comfort food recipes and hope that you comment back with some of yours. I unfortunately have been battling strep throat this week and nothing tastes better than Chicken and Noodles. It's really just my mom's version of chicken noodle soup but I always loved it growing up and still do! I have found an easy way to make this using just two bone-in chicken breasts which makes the proportions smaller which is nice when cooking for two. So here you go: the official toast to Comfort Food Season!

Chicken and Noodles

Ingredients:
2 split chicken breasts, bone-in with skin
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup chopped yellow onion (about half an onion)
1-2 carrots- chopped
1 carrot - cut in three large pieces
1 stalk celery- cut in three large pieces
Half yellow onion- cut in thirds
Egg Noodles
1 can chicken broth* see note below
Thyme - fresh or dried
Salt & Pepper
Butter (2 tablespoons or so)

Place the chicken breasts along with the large pieces of carrot, celery and onion in the bottom of a medium sized stockpot. Pour enough water to cover the chicken breasts. Add sprig of fresh thyme or if you're using dried thyme- use about 1/2 teaspoon. Bring to a boil and then cook on medium high for about 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken and vegetables from stock and set chicken aside to cool. Return stock to a boil and then add egg noodles- because I cut this down- I use about 3/4 of a package of egg noodles and add can of chicken stock if needed*.

In the meantime, saute chopped celery, onion, carrots in butter (yes, butter- I suppose you could use olive oil if you're trying to be healthy but I'm telling you when you're sick- you want the goodness!!) Season vegetables with salt & pepper to taste. Saute until the carrots and celery are softened but still have some crunch.

Once chicken is cool enough to touch- discard skin and bone- and shred the chicken.

Add chicken and vegetables to the noodles and broth.

Let simmer for about 5 - 10 minutes to make sure vegetables and chicken are hot- then serve!

* you may need to add more chicken stock- which is why I list a can of chicken stock to the ingredient list- if you were to make a whole pot of this- you'd use a whole chicken and it would yield more broth. When you are just using essentially 1 whole chicken breast- you aren't going to get a ton of broth unless you made it really watery. It all depends on how many noodles you want- I tend to like mine more stew-like than soup-like so it's your call. You don't want to add water though because it will weaken your stock and your overall results.